Gaining Less to Gain More
If anyone has read some of my previous blogs, you will know that a while ago I read a book by Marie Kondo about The Magic of Tidying Up. I went through and got rid of all the things that didn't "spark joy" so I could live a simpler life. Her book was difficult to relate with in some ways, but never the less, I took the challenge and scaled down a lot of what we had.
After the purging process a lot of our conversations would go like this:
Matt: "Hey Tori, do you know where this is?"
Me: "Oh yeah, that didn't spark joy so I got rid of it."
Matt: "Oh Mylanta!"
So after this "sparking joy"process, we moved into a new house. After getting settled in, I needed new things because, as you know, your old stuff just doesn't fit the same in a new space. So, I bought new things! I mean when you need something, you buy it right?! There was one problem with this mentality. When you buy new things, you have to get rid of the old things. If you don't, you end up with the old things and the new things and then realize now your new house is too small to hold the old and new things, so now you need a bigger house to hold your old and new things. Then you get the new bigger house, you're gonna need new things, so you go and get the new things, but you still keep the old, and older things, plus the new things you just bought. So now you need a new building to store some of the old and older things so the new things can go in your new bigger house that just isn't as big as you thought it was when you bought it. (Anyone everyone read, If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, does this process sound familiar?)
I realized recently there is something wrong with my thinking. So as I always do, I went looking for answers on how to simplify my life. Marie Kondo's way just wasn't my cup of tea, so I turned elsewhere. On a side note, she does have an awesome way of folding that makes the biggest difference in your drawer space! I found a book called The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own written by Joshua Becker. I read the book and what I learned is that I wanted to live a life of minimalism. Now when you hear the word minimalism you usually think extreme. Sitting on the floor on a towel with no furniture, no TV, staring at a blank white wall. If that's what you want your idea of minimalism to be, then that's great! But, he explains that minimalism can fit into everyone's life but just like every family is different, so it is be a minimalist.
The thing I learned the most from this book is probably something I have heard a thousand times before but for some reason this time it finally clicked, "Buying things will not make you happy." Something new is always going to come out and seem better than the "old" thing that you have. We live in a time that it is so easy and convenient to get new things. I mean I am the girl whose husband asks her, "Did you order something from Amazon?" "Yes, yes I did." "What did you order?" "I honestly don't remember." I don't want to be that girl anymore! I want to have money in the bank to spend on a family outing or to save for my children's college fund or to give away to someone who really needs it, but I can't do that if I am constantly buying. I want to let go of the need to buy just because its cute or its new or just because I can. So I am on a mission to live a simple life. I'm not saying I will never buy anything again, but it has changed the way I view purchases, even the way I shop for groceries
I want to spend my time making memories not making money to pay for all the things I think will make me happy. After all, my children aren't going to remember how much money I spent on them, but they are going to remember the days spent outside climbing trees, nights at the dinner table playing "Guess that Disney movie" or evenings under the carport watching the lightning bugs dance.
I'm going to start gaining less so I can gain more.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
With love,
Tori
After the purging process a lot of our conversations would go like this:
Matt: "Hey Tori, do you know where this is?"
Me: "Oh yeah, that didn't spark joy so I got rid of it."
Matt: "Oh Mylanta!"
So after this "sparking joy"process, we moved into a new house. After getting settled in, I needed new things because, as you know, your old stuff just doesn't fit the same in a new space. So, I bought new things! I mean when you need something, you buy it right?! There was one problem with this mentality. When you buy new things, you have to get rid of the old things. If you don't, you end up with the old things and the new things and then realize now your new house is too small to hold the old and new things, so now you need a bigger house to hold your old and new things. Then you get the new bigger house, you're gonna need new things, so you go and get the new things, but you still keep the old, and older things, plus the new things you just bought. So now you need a new building to store some of the old and older things so the new things can go in your new bigger house that just isn't as big as you thought it was when you bought it. (Anyone everyone read, If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, does this process sound familiar?)
I realized recently there is something wrong with my thinking. So as I always do, I went looking for answers on how to simplify my life. Marie Kondo's way just wasn't my cup of tea, so I turned elsewhere. On a side note, she does have an awesome way of folding that makes the biggest difference in your drawer space! I found a book called The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own written by Joshua Becker. I read the book and what I learned is that I wanted to live a life of minimalism. Now when you hear the word minimalism you usually think extreme. Sitting on the floor on a towel with no furniture, no TV, staring at a blank white wall. If that's what you want your idea of minimalism to be, then that's great! But, he explains that minimalism can fit into everyone's life but just like every family is different, so it is be a minimalist.
The thing I learned the most from this book is probably something I have heard a thousand times before but for some reason this time it finally clicked, "Buying things will not make you happy." Something new is always going to come out and seem better than the "old" thing that you have. We live in a time that it is so easy and convenient to get new things. I mean I am the girl whose husband asks her, "Did you order something from Amazon?" "Yes, yes I did." "What did you order?" "I honestly don't remember." I don't want to be that girl anymore! I want to have money in the bank to spend on a family outing or to save for my children's college fund or to give away to someone who really needs it, but I can't do that if I am constantly buying. I want to let go of the need to buy just because its cute or its new or just because I can. So I am on a mission to live a simple life. I'm not saying I will never buy anything again, but it has changed the way I view purchases, even the way I shop for groceries
I want to spend my time making memories not making money to pay for all the things I think will make me happy. After all, my children aren't going to remember how much money I spent on them, but they are going to remember the days spent outside climbing trees, nights at the dinner table playing "Guess that Disney movie" or evenings under the carport watching the lightning bugs dance.
 |
| I want to remember time well spent <3 |
I'm going to start gaining less so I can gain more.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
With love,
Tori
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